The district panchayat is planning to take up projects focussing on mental health in the tribal regions of the district, which has been witnessing increasing number of suicides in recent months.
The decision was taken after a visit by district panchayat president D. Suresh Kumar, vice president A. Shailaja Beegum and steering committee members to Vithura and Nandiyode panchayats which have witnessed five suicides of young girls in the past three months. The team visited the houses of all the five victims and spoke to the family members.
Long-term relief
“We have decided to have more projects to address mental health issues in the tribal areas in next year’s plan. We already have several initiatives, including study centres and counselling mechanisms, in these regions. But more needs to be done. Those facing various issues should be able to approach counselling centres and get support that should help them in the longer term, rather than immediate relief. We spoke to the family members of all of these victims and they raised various allegations including the influence of the drug mafia. All these will have to be tackled,” said Mr. Suresh Kumar.
Drug network
Most of the cases of suicides have been of young girls, including minors, with decent academic records. Some of them have been found to be victims of sexual abuse by non-tribal youth. Arrests have been made on charges of abetment of suicide in some cases. Some of the non-tribal youth, who are accused in these cases, are also alleged to be part of networks distributing narcotic substances in these regions. The district panchayat is chalking out measures, including sensitisation programmes, to ensure that the tribal youth do not fall prey to such networks. Identifying those facing various issues and providing them counselling at an early stage has been a challenge for those who work on the ground in these areas.
